Column: This heat wave has turned me into a grouch

What a wimp I have become with this hot weather. I am now a complainer, easily annoyed, testy, and huffy. I am all the above and that is the definition of grouchy.

I was having a pity party for myself when I sat down to watch the news last night when I saw “Breaking News: Five Alarm Fire” flash across the screen. As I watched this fire play out on television, seeing those firefighters in their hot gear doing their job in this oppressive heat I was ashamed of my behavior. As I sat there I began to think of all the other men and women who work outside for a living and I realized how fortunate I am.

I promised myself I will never complain about the heat again ever.

There are things you can do to make things more comfortable at home. Cooling humid air is less efficient, so turn your vent fans on inside your house in the kitchen and the bathroom. Run the vent over the stove when you are cooking and the one in the bathroom when you are taking a shower and run it 10 minutes after your shower to reduce moisture sufficiently.

Taking a cold shower will cool you down, but using a minty body wash can really enhance the effect. The menthol in peppermint activates the same receptor on nerve endings that’s involved in sensing cold and the effects lasts up to 30 minutes.

I am looking forward to Sept. 23. That is the first day of fall.

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Column: This heat wave has turned me into a grouch."